Translocation - West Creech Pit

Client: Imerys Ltd

Location: Near Wareham, Dorset

Background

In order to implement planning consents for the winning and working of ball clay at the existing consented Imerys Ltd Povington Ball Clay Works, at Povington, Nr Wareham, Dorset, it was necessary to demolish a complex of farm buildings containing day roosts of five species of bats. In addition, due to the presence of a large population of great crested newts within a decommissioned lagoon complex in land immediately adjacent, it was necessary to exclude and translocate newts from terrestrial habitat within the development footprint.

Action

In winter 2009, European Protected Species Development Licences in respect of bats and great crested newts were sought from Natural England. These licences included mitigation and compensation designed by AEcol to allow the destruction of the bat roosts by soft demolition, translocating any bats present by hand capture, and releasing them within compensatory bat-boxes, and also to allow the exclusion and translocation of great crested newts into compensatory terrestrial habitat including two large scale artificial hibernacula.

Outcome

Both applications were approved, allowing work to commence in spring 2010. Working in close company with the contractors charged with the demolition of the farm buildings, AEcol bat-surveyors hand captured all the bats present, resulting in a total of 16 bats of four species being removed without harm. Despite MoD land access constraints, the great crested newt translocation was similarly successful with AEcol surveyors working a 7-day week for 13 weeks to translocate the newts within Imerys Ltd’s desired timetable. In total, the translocation resulted in the rescue of 59 great crested newts, 89 smooth newts, 60 palmate newts, 58 common toads, one common frog, 16 common lizards, 3 field voles and one pygmy shrew. Soil-stripping commenced in September 2010 and work to progress the pit is now well underway.